Wales 5

[DdraigGoch]

The old one filled up before we could link a new one but here we are.

The priorities and timings just seem all over the place, and our case rate just doesn't support waiting another month or two for more normality to resume. The elections will be interesting this year.

I gave up watching the government announcements on TV this time round just cannot listen to the fudging of things. They're terrified of normalisation or it's more peaceful whenever we're locked away

Was there an announcement today?

It is on now AlohaMolly.

It’s on now.

Looks like extended households from 10th May, indoor hospitality from 17th May.

It's bizarre that children's activities can't go ahead until May given the low case rate and the low risk associated with children's transmission, not to mention the fact that they're all in school anyway

I'm also pissed that I can't go and get a coffee with someone for another 5-6 weeks unless I want to sit outside. Over this shit now.

All Drakefords instructions are moot and depending on results of election.

Oooh. So if all the stars align, and neither England nor Wales have to halt their opening up plans for any reason, then it is possible that I may be able to see my parents after10th May?

Half term is the very end of May / start of June..... I being to see a very small chink of light that MIGHT be a plan. Maybe.

Swansea seems to be doing it’s best to buck the trend of things getting better...

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-wales-56602992

Travel restrictions lifted on 12th!!! Yippee. Bubbles on 10th May. Yippee.

I do wonder if Drakeford and co are wanting to keep us as shut down as possible in order to keep cases low before the elections.

I had my vaccination yesterday (AZ)
Didn’t feel a thing and no side effects, BIL is the same.
OH is back to working in the office now so I’m glad he’s had both doses.

@Daffodil1967

I had my vaccination yesterday (AZ) Didn’t feel a thing and no side effects, BIL is the same. OH is back to working in the office now so I’m glad he’s had both doses.

Wish I could say the same, I felt rotten most of yesterday. Fine today though (sore arm excepted)

My little village is Rammed today. So many cars and so many badly parked

@ImAllOut:
"Realistically though the chances of either of you having it, passing it on to each other and being symptomatic after jabs is slim to none."

Wow. That's up there with the most misinformed posts I've read.

[quote CassandraKnew]@ImAllOut:
"Realistically though the chances of either of you having it, passing it on to each other and being symptomatic after jabs is slim to none."

Wow. That's up there with the most misinformed posts I've read.[/quote]
Well it's informed by the statistics. There are many areas of the UK now with almost no cases. If two vaccinated people were travelling from areas with one or two cases, and met with masks and social distancing, where is the risk exactly?

@ImAllOut

Just to refresh your mind about what was actually said:

Mrsorganmorgan
I am in South Wales. My daughter is a frontline nurse, so can she come into my house as I have had both Pfizer vaccines and so has she?

ImAllOut
Not legally. Realistically though the chances of either of you having it, passing it on to each other and being symptomatic after jabs is slim to none.

You implied that because they were both jabbed the chance of passing it on was slim to none. Although at the same time you said it wasn't legal. Hello..... there's a reason why it isn't legal! That's because it's not known yet if the jabs not stop people catching it or passing it on. All that's known is the jabs reduce the worst of the symptoms when people are infected. That shows that infections are still expected after being jabbed. Anyone infected can pass it on, surely you don't think anyone jabbed who tests positive won't still have to self isolate?

Early indications are that it's effective in reducing transmission. In this instance both have had both doses of one of the most effective vaccines, and one them is probably tested 3 or 4 times a week if she's a nurse. I stand by the fact that, statistically speaking, it would be highly improbable that either of them would have the virus and a high enough viral load to actually transmit the virus, especially if both wore masks and socially distanced.

It's illegal because slow easing is likely to be the best way of reducing huge outbreaks until more people have been vaccinated. We were allowed to meet other households with higher case numbers and no vaccines last year. There's a lot more politics involved in the current restrictions than science.

I'm just stating my opinion on that poster's dilemma, I'm not saying everyone should break the law.

@CassandraKnew the vaccines have been proven to substantially reduce transmission. Yes, they don't prevent it entirely but the probability of one vaccinated person catching it from another vaccinated person is tiny.

Most of the reason that it is illegal is that most of the population isn't vaccinated and the government is trying to keep the rules simple so that they are easier to enforce. If they added an exception which said "unless both of you had a second dose more than three weeks ago" everyone throwing a house party would be telling porkies to police officers and without a vaccine passport system (which has been ruled out for good reason) there is no way to check. So blanket rule it is.

[quote DdraigGoch]@CassandraKnew the vaccines have been proven to substantially reduce transmission. Yes, they don't prevent it entirely but the probability of one vaccinated person catching it from another vaccinated person is tiny.

Most of the reason that it is illegal is that most of the population isn't vaccinated and the government is trying to keep the rules simple so that they are easier to enforce. If they added an exception which said "unless both of you had a second dose more than three weeks ago" everyone throwing a house party would be telling porkies to police officers and without a vaccine passport system (which has been ruled out for good reason) there is no way to check. So blanket rule it is.[/quote]
I think your "the probability of one vaccinated person catching it from another vaccinated person is tiny" is wishful thinking and dangerous. The vaccines are supposed to reduce the most serious symptoms. Although some (not all) reports indicate they may help reduce transmission, we haven't tested that outside restrictions yet. They are already softening us up for a 3rd wave and Whitty is saying 25,000 deaths a year. He wouldn't be saying that if he thought vaccination reduced the risks as much as you suggest.
I think the big problem now is if people treat being vaccinated as being cured and that they are no longer a risk to others. As you suggest they can. Previously a disease e.g. Spanish Flu passed through a population quickly and the weakest people died. Then life went back to normal. Now we are vaccinating people to reduce their symptoms and might be enabling them to spread the virus further, without them even knowing they have the disease. Ask yourself why they are doing free home testing for everyone? According to you, testing isn't required if people have been vaccinated.

Before today's figures were out I said to OH bet you Cardiff and Swansea are up. Punishment for littering senedd and beaching in Swansea. Hey ho I'm an oracle 😆😆

@CassandraKnew you can stay locked up indefinitely if you like. No one is stopping you.

These Welsh threads have had a real sense of comradery which helped me last year. I hope that doesn't get lost due to some differing attitudes to risk.

Hopefully the vaccine programme will be effective enough that we don't have to worry about people breaking the rules, because people will always break the rules.

I'm thinking about things I want to do when it's safe and making a little bucket list. Does anyone want to share their best days out in South Wales/West Wales to inspire me?

@ArosGartref very much depends if it's your thing I suppose, but Folly Farm is well worth a visit imo. If you're thinking as far North as Ceredigion then Mwnt is a great place to visit - personally I would combine this with a bit of walking the coast path, and ice cream from the pink shop in New Quay (Creme Pen Cei).

@ArosGartref I want to go to all the places of history that I’ve either never visited or want to see again. I want to go to beaches, too!

Castles - Raglan, Chepstow, Caerphilly, Pembroke, Cardiff, Caldicot, St Fagan’s (not really a Castle I suppose!)

Tintern Abbey, stroll through Monmouth to look at all the hidden gems of buildings and get an ice cream from the ice cream parlour.

Mumbles. Duffryn Gardens, Penarth for the Marina, town centre and beach, Cardiff Bay, Tenby, St David’s, Solva, Chepstow - interesting historic buildings and walk across the beautiful old iron Wye Bridge to England.

However, if you don’t like seaside or historical towns, I’m afraid I can’t help!

We went to folly farm last year in August. That's a good family day out. I like a castle but not sure the kids would be interested. My kids aren't naice national trust types unfortunately

It'd be really good to have an adult weekend away and do things that have a slower pace. Although in practice I would probably just sleep for 48 hours if I had some child free time.

I know a lot of people are desperate to go abroad but this past year has made me more appreciative the local area.